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The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of $ 4. 6 million in funds for allocation to State Department of Agriculture for providing cost share assistance to eligible organic producers or handlers certified to the National Organic Program (NOP).

The NOP is authorized

credit:

under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, as amended (7 U.S.C.

6501 et seq.).

The funds announced under the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program are authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill).

State Departments of Agriculture (Agencies, Commissions, or Departments of a State government) interested in obtaining program funds and located within the 50 States, U. S. Territories, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are invited to submit applications to AMS.

Applications for federal assistance from States must be submitted to the National Organic Program by November 01, 200 9. The program will provide cost-share assistance, through participating States, to organic producers and handlers receiving certification or continuation of certification by a USDA accredited certifying agent commencing October 1, 2009, through September 30, 201 0. Cost-share assistance payments are limited to 75 percent of an individual producers or handlers certification costs up to a maximum of $75 0. 00 per year.

Organic producers or handlers must contact their local State Department of Agriculture to apply for cost-share assistance.

To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers and handlers must submit an application to the representative Agency of the State in which their farm/operation is located.

This application must include: 1) proof of NOP certification issued or continued within the cost-share qualifying period, October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010, and; 2) an itemized invoice demonstrating costs incurred for NOP certification.

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